US 2012/0056667 A1 · METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING CIRCUIT FAILURE

Abstract

An embedded decoupling capacitor wearout monitor for power transmission line, which can be integrated and fabricated in any standard CMOS or BiCMOS circuits. The embedded noise monitor is employed to detect the degraded capacitor and disable it from further operation, which will extend the operation lifetime of the circuit system and prevent subsequent catastrophic failure as a result of hard-breakdown (or capacitor short). In one aspect, the monitor circuit and method detects early degradation signal before catastrophic decoupling capacitor failure and, further can pin-point a degraded decoupling capacitor and disable it, avoiding impact from decoupling capacitor breakdown failure. The monitor circuit and method provides for decoupling capacitor redundancy and includes an embedded and self-diagnostic circuit for functionality and reliability.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A decoupling capacitor (decap) wearout monitor for an integrated circuit (IC) device having a power transmission line supplying power to IC semiconductor circuits, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of decoupling capacitors (decaps) embedded within said IC, each individual decap adapted to connect to said power transmission line in parallel with said circuits at a respective first terminal;
a switch device responsive to a first control signal for selecting a target decap of said plurality for connection to said power transmission line and to couple noise signals present at said target decap to a noise monitor circuit embedded within said IC, said noise monitor circuit comprising:
a noise sensor for generating from noise signals received from said target decap a corresponding constant voltage level signal;
and,
a comparator device for comparing said constant voltage level signal with a determined threshold voltage level, and generating an output signal when a noise signal level exceeds said determined threshold voltage level;
and,
a control device embedded within said IC, responsive to said output signal for generating a second control signal to disconnect said target decoupling capacitor from said parallel circuit connection;
and, further generating a further first control signal to connect a second target decoupling capacitor of said plurality in parallel with said circuits.

5 more elements

A method for power line noise monitoring for an integrated circuit (IC) device having a power transmission line supplying power to IC semiconductor circuits, said method comprising:

a) operably connecting, via a switch device responsive to a first control signal, a first target decoupling capacitor (decap) of a plurality of decoupling capacitors (decaps), embedded within said IC, to said power transmission line at a first terminal in a configuration parallel with said semiconductor circuits;
b) continuously coupling noise signals present at said connected first target decap to a noise sensor embedded within said IC;
c) generating, from noise signals coupled to said noise sensor, a corresponding constant voltage level signal;
d) comparing, at a comparator device, said constant voltage level signal with a determined threshold voltage level;
e) generating an output signal indicating a noise signal level exceeding said determined threshold voltage level;
and,
f) generating, at a control device embedded within said IC, responsive to said output signal, a second control signal for receipt by said switch device and operative to disconnect said first target decap from said parallel circuit configuration;
and, further generating a first control signal to and switch device adapted to connect a second target decoupling capacitor of said plurality in a circuit configuration in parallel with said semiconductor circuits.

5 more elements

A decoupling capacitor wearout monitor for an integrated circuit (IC) device having a power transmission line supplying power to one or more IC semiconductor circuit blocks, said apparatus comprising:

a decoupling capacitor (decap) embedded within said IC in association with a respective semiconductor circuit block, a respective decap having a first terminal for connection to said power transmission line;
a switch device associated with each respective decap and connected at a respective second decap terminal thereof, each said switch device responsive to a first control signal to initially couple each respective decap to said power transmission line for simultaneous parallel operation, and simultaneously couple noise signals present at each said decap to a noise monitor circuit embedded within said IC, said noise monitor circuit comprising:
a noise sensor for generating from noise signals received from a target decap a corresponding constant voltage level signal;
and,
a comparator device for comparing said constant voltage level signal with a determined threshold voltage level, and generating an output signal when a noise signal level exceeds said determined threshold voltage level;
and,
a control device embedded within said IC, responsive to said output signal for determining a first target decap providing a source of said noise signal that exceeds said determined threshold voltage level, and, generating a second control signal for receipt by said associated switch device of said first target decap, to disconnect said first target decoupling capacitor from said power transmission line, while remaining decaps remain connected to said power transmission line in parallel with their said respective individual semiconductor circuit blocks for continued parallel operation.

4 more elements

A method for power line noise monitoring for an integrated circuit (IC) device having a power transmission line supplying power to IC semiconductor circuits, said method comprising:

a) operably connecting, via a switch device responsive to a first control signal, a respective decoupling capacitor (decap) embedded within said IC to said power transmission line at a first decap terminal for simultaneous parallel circuit operation;
b) continuously coupling noise signals present at said power transmission line to a noise sensor embedded within said IC;
c) generating, from noise signals coupled to said noise sensor, a corresponding constant voltage level signal;
d) comparing, at a comparator device, said constant voltage level signal with a determined threshold voltage level;
e) generating an output signal indicating a noise signal level exceeding said determined threshold voltage level;
and,
f) determining, at a controller device embedded within said IC, in response to a generated output signal, a target decap of said plurality that provides a source of said noise signal that exceeds said determined threshold voltage level;
and,
g) generating a second control signal for receipt at said switch and operative to decouple said target decap from said parallel circuit configuration while remaining decaps remain connected to said power transmission line in parallel with their said respective individual semiconductor circuit blocks for continued parallel operation.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for preventing circuit failure

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for preventing circuit failure

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25